1

Sieminski- Agency Presentation

Stephanie Sieminski

Agency Presentation- Mosaic

Wilmington University
 2
Sieminski- Agency Presentation
Mosaic is a faith-based organization that works as a partnership between its staff,

volunteers and its clients to ensure each individual is living a meaningful life, in caring

communities, advocating for them and teaching them to advocate for themselves (Mosaic, n.d).

I have been assigned to Mosaic for my Spring 2017 Internship for Wilmington Universitys

Masters in Administration of Human Services. For this internship, I am the Assistant to the

Executive Director. Below is are the details to the agency.

Mission

Mosaics mission, as found on mosaicinfo.org, states, Embracing Gods call to serve in

the world, Mosaic advocates for people with intellectual disabilities and provides opportunities

for them to enjoy a full life, (Mosaic, n.d). Mosaic gives individuals with intellectual

disabilities the opportunity for choice in their home, roommates, employment and how they

involve themselves within their community. Mosaic surrounds their services by including their

clients, teaching them about self-advocacy and how to having a meaningful life full of

possibilities.

Background beth fuh jee

Mosaic was originally two separate organizations that started in 1913. The first

organization was Bethphage which was started in 1913 in Axtell, Nebraska by Rev. K.G.

William Dahl (Mosaic, n.d). Rev. K.G. William Dahl gathered money for people to help

develop more appropriate, safe and ethical homes for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

He was able to open his first home in 1914 and in one year his organization grew to 40 guests

and 20 workers (Mosaic, n.d).

The second organization was Martin Luther Homes which began in 1925 in Sterling,

Nebraska. Martin Luther Homes were established by three pastors and two laymen who wanted
 3
Sieminski- Agency Presentation
to create a school for children with intellectual disabilities (Mosaic, n.d). They opened a

previously closed school called Martin Luther Academy which is where their name originated.

The school attracted a lot of attention prior to its finishing causing one of the founding pastors to

take in children from families who expressed interest. The facility took off and a new facility

had to be opened in its place. This took place on June 1, 1956 in Beatrice, Nebraska (Mosaic,

n.d).

These organizations grew into national ministries and propelled them to opening

additional sites because of their quality of care (Mosaic, n.d)

Both organization were working toward a shared mission, vision and church affiliation.

They realized that together, they could reach more individuals and decided to merge into one

organization which is when the name Mosaic was given. Mosaic was formed on July 1, 2003.

Since its inception, Mosaic has continued to grow. Mosaic International formed in 1994 to bring

vital services and supports to individuals with intellectual disabilities in developing countries

and emerging democracies, (Mosaic, n.d.). Mosaic is currently established in Romania,

Tanzania, and Bulgaria.

Demographic Information

Mosaic primarily serves adults with intellectual disabilities. Intellectual disabilities, as

defined by Special Olympics, is a term used when a person has certain limitations in cognitive

functioning and skills, including communication, social and self-care skills, (Make a

Difference, n.d). It is the most common developmental disability. About 1-3 percent of the

global population has an intellectual disability which equals out to around 200 million people

(Make a Difference, n.d). In the United States alone, there are around 6.5 million people with

intellectual disabilities (Make a Difference, n.d). Mosaic currently serves about 3,700 of these
 4
Sieminski- Agency Presentation
individuals in 36 agencies across 10 states with the help of 5,000 employees.

Policies and Procedures

Mosaic has a Code of Conduct that was developed stating its principles, policies, and

guidelines. This Code of Conduct informs all employees of Mosaics policies and procedures for

commonly occurring situations and ensures that all employees are doing the right thing, even

when no one is looking. Mosaic holds its employees, officers, board members, volunteers, and

contractors to high expectations for ethical practice. The items in the Code of Conduct are the

frame-work of ethical standards and obligations that guide our work performance, professional

standards, and how we conduct our relationships with others (Mosaic, n.d). The Code of

Conduct also encompasses the values of Mosaic which are safety, respect, connection, and

integrity. Integrity causes us to follow safety procedures, treat people with respect, maintain

high standards of quality in our work, use our resources wisely and honestly, and be active

members of our communities (Mosaic, n.d).

Structure
The structure of the organization can be found below. The organization is structured by

location and the hierarchy chart below shows the structure for the Delaware location. The

Executive Director (ED) oversees all areas of the organization at this agency. The behavior

analyst, Quality Assurance Coordinator, Community Relations Manager, Community Relations,

Property Manager, Office Manager, and receptionist all report to the ED directly. Aside from

these positions, there is a HR business partner, business manager, and HR Generalist who dont

necessarily report directly to the ED because they run within themselves but cross paths as

needed.

Under the ED there also falls the Program Coordinators. The program coordinators take

responsibility for running a certain number of homes and the employees at those homes. For
 5
Sieminski- Agency Presentation
example, each home typically has a Direct Support Manager (DSM) and a Direct Support

Specialist (DSS). They can also have a Direct Support Associate (DSA), and Direct Support

Coordinator (DSC). These DSM, DSS, DSA, and DSC have their own hierarchy of reporting.

The DSM oversees the DSS, DSA, and DSC. The needs at each home influence what workers

are present.

Governance
Mosaic is governed by the national organization and its board. The Board of Directors of

Mosaic is composed of 13 directors. Three of the 13 are appointed by the Evangelical Lutheran

Church in America and the remaining majority of the board members should be Lutheran and are

elected by the board itself (Mosaic, n.d). Each member on the board serves a three-year term and

can serve two consecutive years, each year meeting three times.

Each agency is also governed by a Local Advisory Board. The local advisory board

serves a purpose to advise, assist and support Mosaic in Delaware (Mosaic, n.d). The local

advisory board reviews the operations and communications with Mosaic regarding the
 6
Sieminski- Agency Presentation
accomplishments and challenges of local operations and provides information relevant to

policies which impact the Mosaic clients (Mosaic, n.d). Individuals serving on the local advisory

board serve a three-year term and meet quarterly.

Funding

Funding is received through a contract with the Division of Developmental Disabilities

Services which falls under the Department of Health and Social Services. The Division of

Developmental Disabilities Services has a mission to value individuals with intellectual and

developmental disabilities and helping them achieve possibilities and lead meaningful lives.

Funding is provided through a contract which is approved for the program type, the individuals it

serves and the resources it offers.

Relationship to Other Agencies

Mosaic has a church relationship with Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. This

organization assists parishes with, among and for people with intellectual disabilities. It also

works together to provide sensitivity training for youth and adults who seek to better understand

individuals with Intellectual Disabilities.

Mosaic is also a member with Lutheran Services in America (LSA) and the American

Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR). LSA-Disabilities Network is an

organization that represents 300 Lutheran nonprofit organizations in the US and connects and

empowers the members within the organizations (Gubsch, 2016). The LSA-DN provides

support for more than 150,000 individuals with intellectual disabilities in 32 states which

includes Mosaic (Gubsch, 2016).

 7
Sieminski- Agency Presentation
ANCOR is the American Network of Community Options and Resources that represents

more than 1000 private community organizations serving individuals with disabilities. In total,

ANCOR serves 600,000 individuals with disabilities.

Strengths, Trends, and Challenges

Strengths

There are a few strengths within Mosaic. They include the ability to serve all levels of

intellectual disabilities, having a variety of services, and their self-advocacy. Mosaic offers a

variety of programs to its clients of varying disabilities. The services provided include

residential services, drop-in supports, day support services, and spiritual services. The service an

individual receive will depend on their need.

Mosaic also offers a self-advocacy program which helps individuals learn what rights

they have as an individual. This include the clients when creating their plans in order to help

them achieve what they want to achieve and allowing them to have the most meaningful life

possible. Providing clients with a voice and choice is crucial to being successful and running a

positive organization.

Trends

The trend at mosaic is their collaboration with the Lutheran Services of America (LSA).

Collaboration is crucial for organizations success. In order to be successful, organizations must

work together, much like Bethphage and Martin Luther Homes did. Mosaic has a shared mission

of faith with LSA. Being connected with faith based groups allows for advice, support and

encouragement from other organizations working toward a similar cause (Gubsch, 2016).

Challenges
 8
Sieminski- Agency Presentation
An ongoing challenge within Mosaic is their funding. The U.S. Department of Labor

released a revised rule regarding overtime which would increase Mosaics operating costs by

more than $2 million dollars without an increase in funding (Timmons, 2016). With this change

and no means to cover the additional costs, it leaves Mosaic strapped with an even more tight

budget than before. This makes staffing a difficult process which in turn makes caring for

multiple individuals a challenge.

Interns Role

My role at Mosaic is to assist the Executive Director. The Executive Director (ED) is

defined by businessdictionary.com as, a working director of an organization who is usually also

its full-time employee, and has a specified decision making role as director of finance,

marketing, operations, etc. on an on-going basis (2017). Shavonne Brathwaite is the ED at

Mosaics Delaware location. She has designated me to schedule and run the Ray of Hope

meetings which as based around self-advocacy as well as other opportunities.

 9
Sieminski- Agency Presentation
References

Delaware, T. S. (n.d.). Developmental Disabilities Services. Retrieved from http://

www.dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/ddds/

Gubsch, C. (2016, June 21). Encouraging Collaboration over Competition. Retrieved from

http://www.mosaicinfo.org/blog-entry/encouraging-collaboration-over-competition

LSA Disability Network. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.lutheranservices.org/LSADN

Make a Difference. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.specialolympics.org/Sections/Who_We_Are/What_Is_Intellectual_Disability.

aspx

Mosaic - Serving People with Intellectual Disabilities. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.mosaicinfo.org/

Mosaic in Delaware. (2016, December 20). Retrieved from

http://www.mosaicinfo.org/location/mosaic-delaware

Timmons. (2016, June 28). Overtime Pay Rule Strains Nonprofits. Retrieved from

http://www.mosaicinfo.org/blog-entry/overtime-pay-rule-strains-nonprofits